Expo Centre to showcase exotic textile art from Indonesia

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History of batik

Batik has been a part of Javanese court culture and ceremonies as early as the 13th century. In the 17th century, the rulers of Surakarta and Yogyakarta even issued decrees that make it obligatory to wear batik dress at court. A typical colour of batik in the court of Java usually consisted of blue, white and soga brown.

During the British colonial period, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles became the leading witness to the development of batik.

Arriving in Java in 1811 with some 12,000 Englishmen, Raffles immersed himself with local culture. He wrote the monumental "History of Java", which amassed greater collection of textiles among other artefacts. During that time, the smoother, mill-made stuff from Europe replaced the Javanese hand woven textile.

During the Japanese occupation (1944-1945), batik patterns and colors were influenced by Japanese design. Fine intricate backgrounds and bright colors dominated this type of batik, which was called Batik Hokokai.

After the independence of Indonesia, President Soekarno, the first president of Indonesia, encouraged the creation of a new style of batik. Commonly known as Batik Indonesia, the new type of batik combined various styles of batik found in Indonesia.

New designs were also introduced, such as Cendrawasih, Sruni, Sandang Pangan, Udang, while the traditional processing system was still preserved. Batik has also been promoted as the formal dress on various occasions, such as wedding, ceremonies, and celebrations.

Batik making

The long, tedious process of batik making has made it very hard for anyone who wants to pursue this art. Some would even say that batik making is best reserved for the patient and meticulous artisan.

The first step is to draw the pattern onto the cloth. This can be accomplished using charcoal or graphite. Some designers prefer tracing from stencils or pattern called pola. Once the design has been drawn out onto the cloth, then it is ready to be waxed.

Waxing

The first method of waxing is called tulis, which is accomplished by drawing on the fabric using a canting (a small copper spout attached to a bamboo or wooden handles).

The fabric is draped over a bamboo frame called gawangan. To begin, the artist first dips canting into the wax and then applies it to the fabric. Another method is by using cap or copper stamping tool. Then the cloth is stretched on a long table, the cap dipped into a pan of hot wax and pressed onto the fabric. Compared to tulis, this method is much faster and more suitable for industrial purpose.

Dyeing

Traditionally, dyeing was done in an earthenware tub. Nowadays, most batik factories use large concrete vats. The waxed fabrics immersed into the dye bath of the first colour.

The amount of time of the immersion determines the hue of the color; darker colors require longer period of numerous immersions.

Then, the fabric is put into a cold water bath to harden the wax. When the intended colour has been achieved and the fabric has been dried, wax is reapplied over the desired areas. A multicoloured batik represents a lot of work that is a single or two colour piece. Numerous dye processes are usually reflected in the price of the cloth.

Types of batik

There are several types of batik based on the origin. Each type represents the diverse and rich culture of Indonesia. These include the batik of Central Java, Pekalongan, Cirebon, Lasem, Jogyakarta and Surakarta. There are also some that carry funny names such as village, two countries and three countries' and patchwork batiks. Lately, Madura batik is made more familiar with the Javanese. Other provinces such as Bali and Riau have their own motifs and patterns.

Big attraction

As an ancient art that emerged hundreds of years ago, batik managed to survive the competition against its many rivals. The art of batik making has attracted a number of foreigners to study. Batik exhibitions and conventions, featuring batik designers from all over the world, also take place regularly. These shows proved to demonstrate the great potential of batik, both as profitable industry and exotic textile art.